Moises Henriques added to Australia’s Test squad to face India

He hasn’t played a Test match since 2016 but an Aussie is in line to make a stunning return to the format against India.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 13: Joe Burns of Australia A walks from the field after being dismissed by Mohammed Shami of India during day three of the Tour Match between Australia A and India at Sydney Cricket Ground on December 13, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Moises Henriques is an outside chance for a stunning Test comeback on Thursday after being added to the Australian squad.

The NSW all-rounder has been cleared of a mild hamstring strain which kept him out of Australia A’s second tour match against India and he flew to Adelaide with Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green on Monday.

Australian officials are confident Green is making strong inroads in his recovery from concussion, but if the 21-year-old is ruled out Henriques is a massive chance to play his first Test since 2016.

Injuries to David Warner and Will Pucovski had left Australia a batsman short in their original squad of 17, but selectors have decided to go for middle-order option Henriques which further suggests they will consider shifting Marnus Labuschagne up the order to open in the first Test.

Australia do have another injury concern though with squad member Sean Abbott staying behind in Sydney after suffering a mild calf strain against India in the Australia A match.

Abbott is expected to rejoin the squad for the second Test at the MCG, and was never a chance to play in Adelaide anyway.

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Moises Henriques has been added to Australia’s squad for the first Test. Picture: Phil Hillyard

WHY AUSSIES SHOULD ‘GAMBLE’ AND PROMOTE PAINE TO OPENER

Tim Paine should be the man to solve Australia’s top order crisis and open the batting in the first Test, according to former selector Mark Waugh.

It was Waugh who in late 2017 played a key role in instigating Paine’s stunning recall from the cricketing wilderness to keep for Australia in the Ashes.

That decision remains one of the most inspired in Australian Test history.

Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Wade are both being considered to open the batting in the Adelaide opener with David Warner and Will Pucovski out, and Joe Burns haplessly out of form.

But Waugh has made the shock call that captain courageous Paine is now the man to move up the order from No.7 and absorb the early bullets for Australia alongside Marcus Harris.

“I thought of a left-field suggestion just out the back before. I’m going with Tim Paine to open the batting,” Waugh said on Fox Cricket.

“I’m going to have Wade and Green both make the side, Paine and (Harris) opening the batting.

“He’s opened in first-class cricket. Solid player.”

Could Tim Paine be the answer to fill Australia’s opener void? Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Captain Paine has never batted in the top five in a Test match, with his technique against the new ball also rarely tested at first-class level.

The challenge would be magnified against the pink ball and under Adelaide Oval’s lights, and against an all-star pace attack headlined by Jasprit Bumrah.

But with Warner (groin) and Pucovski (concussion) unavailable and Joe Burns seemingly batting himself out of calculations with a run of disastrous dismissals, it has gone from feast to famine for Australian selectors.

Burns, opening the batting for Australia A, has made five runs from four knocks against India and is averaging a Glenn McGrath-esque 6.8 runs for the summer.

That is why Waugh wants Paine to promote himself, ensuring the blue-chip middle order of Marnus Labuschagne (No.3), Steve Smith (4), Travis Head (5) and Matthew Wade (6) remains undisturbed.

“The other choices, you’ve got Shaun Marsh, (Usman) Khawaja, Wade to open maybe as well,” said Waugh.

“And you could push Labuschagne up to open.

“It’s only going to be a short-term fix.

“On this occasion, there’s just so many moving parts with injuries and players in and out of form, it’s a gamble whoever you go with.”

Mark Waugh during his time as an Australian selector. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Waugh said Harris should be locked in as Australia’s “banker” after bludgeoning 239 against South Australia recently and posting starts of 35, 25 not-out and 26 in the tour games against India.

The only caveat Waugh placed on his unlikely pairing was if Australia fields first in the first Test match, which begins on Thursday.

Waugh told Fox Cricket that under that scenario Australia should consider flipping Paine with Wade, so that the captain gets a break after wearing the wicket-keeping gloves all day.

Legendary spinner Shane Warne called for a Wade-Harris opening stand and said discarded veteran Shaun Marsh should be placed on standby for Cameron Green.

It appears only lingering concussion symptoms could deny all-rounder Green a fairytale Baggy Green as a 21-year-old.

When Warner was suspended two years ago, the Aussies deployed Aaron Finch at the top of the order against India, despite the middle-order batsman’s extremely limited experience facing a new red ball.

The move quickly backfired with Finch failing to survive the series and his Test career over after just five matches.

MARNUS MOOTED FOR MOVE UP THE ORDER

Test selectors will give serious consideration to promoting Marnus Labuschagne to opener after Joe Burns made himself virtually unselectable following his latest failure at the SCG.

Burns’ Test career is hanging by a thread following a ninth score of under 30 for the summer, with former captain Allan Border saying the out-of-sorts opener cannot be picked to play at Adelaide this week.

It could result in selectors making a radical shake-up of the batting order, with regular No. 3 Labuschagne pushed to open alongside Marcus Harris, who also fell cheaply on Sunday.

Such a move would disrupt the continuity of the Australian line-up, resulting in the rest of the order moving up one spot – with Steve Smith slotting in at first drop.

Marnus Labuschagne could be thrown to the wolves as opener in the first Test.

It would be conditional on Cameron Green being passed fit to play after the impressive youngster sustained a nasty blow to the head while bowling on Friday.

However it would prevent Australia starting a Test summer with two desperately out-of-form openers, and would appear to be the simplest way to blood the outstanding Green.

The plan is certain to be discussed by coach Justin Langer, Chairman of Selectors Trevor Hohns and fellow selector George Bailey this week.

Hohns was at the SCG on Sunday to see the twin failures of Burns and Harris – and was captured by TV cameras making a phone call as Burns made his exit from the field.

“He’s a man under a bit of pressure, Trevor,” said Border.

“We’ve got to come up with a couple of opening batsmen for a very important Test series against a good cricket team who have got all the running at the moment.

“A couple of tough decisions they’ve got. I don’t fancy being in that chair.”

Joe Burns heads off after being out cheaply again on Sunday Picture. Phil Hillyard

Despite being an incumbent, with four Test centuries to his name and an average a tick under 40, Burns is making one of those tough questions considerably easier.

On form, he simply cannot be picked.

From nine first-class innings this summer, he has just 62 runs. In two matches against the Indians, he has two ducks and a paltry five runs.

He seems little more than a walking wicket at this stage – and was in two minds on Sunday as he played across the line to a straight delivery when trapped LBW by Mohammed Shami for just 1.

“He’s just shot,” lamented former Test captain Allan Border on Fox Cricket.

“It’s a sad sight seeing a bloke really struggling to just find any sort of form.

“My gut feel (on picking Burns) is just no. He has been given these little windows of opportunity because of injury, concussion, circumstances with other guys without nailing down a spot.

“If he had just shown something, even if he had 20-odd today and batted OK and got a good ball to get out – you might think: ‘OK, we’ll stick with the incumbent’.”

Sunday had been billed as Burns’ last-chance saloon and he knew it, according to former Test opener Chris Rogers.

“(On Sunday) there is some pressure on him, no doubt. He’s not stupid,” Rogers said ahead of the final day of the tour match.

“So he has to make the most of this opportunity, that’s pretty important, and then it’s up to the selectors.”

A sorry sight as Burns trudges back to the pavilion.

The scenario was little better for Marcus Harris, who looks set to Steven Bradbury his way into a Test recall, despite unremarkable numbers in both tour matches against India.

Harris notched a fourth low score against India when he was first to depart for just 5 – falling for a legside trap set by the tourists.

“That’s a big psychological blow going into the first Test. Another failure for Marcus Harris,” said Kerry O’Keeffe on Fox Cricket.

“If you look at his innings, it’s an area he peppers …. Sheffield Shield teams don’t put a leg slip in. But India are going to.”

After the twin failures of the openers, Australia A was rescued from another collapse by a 117-run fourth-wicket stand between Ben McDermott and captain Alex Carey (58).

McDermott (107 not out) and Queenslander Jack Wildermuth (109 not out) then hit impressive centuries to thwart the Indian attack, before the captains shook hands on a draw.